They are learning! "Rethinking Diabetes Nutrition" - article from Clinical Endocrinology News
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I just saw this one at the comic book store I work at part time.
I would like this one. Seems like a good stress relief!
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@Sunny_Bunny I have one of the Sweary ones; gave a copy to my friend who loves to swear! Amazon sells them.
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Great thread everyone! People need to get back to realizing that T2D is a MANAGEABLE disease. It is not something we have to medicate ourselves with because "oh theres no cure". NO, Type 1 diabetics have no insulin production and they NEED a cure but T2D can be managed. For some reason, people want to see diabetes either as fatalist or as no big deal. For those who think diabetes is no big deal need to visit an old folks home and see how miserable it is to be without a LIMB, or BLIND, or worse, like my poor aunt, BOTH. Sorry for the caps, I get worked up because I was only one those people with my head in the sand until I had a health epiphany. I WANT TO LIVE. And live well! I refuse to succumb to something so easy to manage or even reverse. <gets off soap box>
Or cases like my stepdad's mom -- Alzheimer's and amputations. I don't remember the extent to which they had to amputate, but I'm pretty sure she lost at least one foot. Before she passed away, the Alzheimer's was so bad that she barely remembered her own children. She had gone downhill pretty fast, too, especially once she went into the nursing home.
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A problem that hadn't been addressed is the cost of the test strips themselves.
I can only use one particular strip because my meter "reports" my numbers to my glucose monitor.There are currently NO mail order Medicare approved distributors, but I can get them locally....right now.The prices have steadily risen because there is only one source.:-(
I have been through MANY diabetic education programs. My memory of my first one was that
I would be able to eat two Graham crackers as my "special" snack each day !!!! Dietitians, hospital
programs, and endo info have good intentions , but most of what I know has been learned through
trial and error. What I have read here has added to my knowledge.
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A problem that hadn't been addressed is the cost of the test strips themselves.
I can only use one particular strip because my meter "reports" my numbers to my glucose monitor.There are currently NO mail order Medicare approved distributors, but I can get them locally....right now.The prices have steadily risen because there is only one source.:-(
I have been through MANY diabetic education programs. My memory of my first one was that
I would be able to eat two Graham crackers as my "special" snack each day !!!! Dietitians, hospital
programs, and endo info have good intentions , but most of what I know has been learned through
trial and error. What I have read here has added to my knowledge.
Does your doc require a specific glucose monitor? Is this an app on your phone? Can you ask your doc for a prescription of strips for testing 6 times a day? I did and received a three month supply for 6 tests a day for $25 (CVS Caremark) Is this what I am facing when I turn 65 and we no longer have company insurance (Anthem)? We use the One Touch Mini, I write my results down on a log sheet for the doc and manually use an app called On Track, for my interpretations.
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A silly side note to "gross" aspect of horse poo...remember it is all veggie based..and most of us have little daily experience of it...in the "natural clay plasters" world the very BEST natural material added to clay is shredded, dried horse puckies.. very crumbly, mostly fine hay fibers, totally dry, NO smell at all!
So like Sunny Bunny, I would toast the hell out of one, and pretend it was shredded wheat, which is IS. No one said it had to be fresh..and until faced with endless pain and sick beyond enduring ...we don't know the choice we'd make.3 -
@MyriiStorm -
Here's my endo's take. (She's a taskmistress but a genuine diabetes whiz, and she took me seriously when I said I wanted to keep my eyes, toes, and ticker!)
There's never a good reason not to test. But there are all sorts of bad reasons not to test.
No harm doing both 1 and 2 hours post-meal (post when you start), until you've got a good handle on your own personal response pattern.
Diabetics tend to spike sooner, and 2 hours may not catch your BG at peak. Peaks do matter.
Knowledge = power! No reason not to test frequently (8-10x/daily) until you have settled into a routine with your food, meds, and exercise so that you can almost predict your BG levels (ha!)
Me, I'm still surprised daily. So 5-10 it is....
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Thanks, @RalfLott. I think part of my problem is my ADHD, in that it is hard for me to put all the pieces together into one plan - remembering to test, recording what I ate, recording if anything special/stressful is happening, and keeping track of where I've put all these little notes with numbers and foods. I stopped trying months ago.
What just struck me today is that I am now (since June) recording everything I eat anyway. And MFP has a place to put Notes every day, so it would not be difficult to record BG numbers and moods/situations. And it's all on my phone, which is always with me! Light bulb moment!!
My insurance pays 100% of my strips and lancets, so I could easily test 10 times a day. I really have no excuse now.2 -
Hi Aquawave- My doctor uses Medtronic glucose monitors, which is the leading company.
The monitor really improves the quality of life for a PWD type 1. With Medicare, there is a lot more
paperwork and verification. You must "document" your test strip uses, so you receive "exactly"
the number of test strips.....if you test 3 times a day, you will receive enough for 3 times a day.
Even if they are prescribed by your doctor, you can not get more than your numbers indicate you
need. He has to send in paperwork every three months, and I sometimes have to send in paperwork to
distributors for their documentation. The supplies I need are also closely regulated....they arrive
within a specified time period. If you can use a variety of test strips and meters, you should have
a much easier time. I also have a secondary insurance so I am luckier than most. I still write down
my numbers every day, but the stats can also be downloaded. Medicare brings an adjustment
from traditional insurance, but being aware of the transition makes it easier :-) It's all good :-)1 -
@MyriiStorm -
I also do not have attention-surplus disorder, so I feel your lack of pain from doing tedious things compulsively.....
The hook is that it is really fascinating to watch your BG move around! (Seriously.) I am still surprised all the time.
And it is really gratifying when you start seeing your BG easing its way back down as you figure it all out.
(You can get meters that can download their data to your laptop without much hassle, if you're inclined.)
Toes & eyes = good
Alzheimer's & dialysis = bad4 -
FYI on test meters & strips....
You can find Bayer Contour Next meters online (Amazon or eBay) for around $5.
If you keep your eyes peeled, you can find lots of soon-expiring test strips as low as $.10 per strip. (cheap!).
The data transfer function is nothing special, but it's easy to use and has a lot of storage.0 -
You can use a second inexpensive meter, it just won't communicate with your pump.
You would still benefit from the bg#s. If you got an actionable # you could
always use the expensive strip to alert your pump.
or 
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Hi Aquawave- My doctor uses Medtronic glucose monitors, which is the leading company.
The monitor really improves the quality of life for a PWD type 1. With Medicare, there is a lot more
paperwork and verification. You must "document" your test strip uses, so you receive "exactly"
the number of test strips.....if you test 3 times a day, you will receive enough for 3 times a day.
Even if they are prescribed by your doctor, you can not get more than your numbers indicate you
need. He has to send in paperwork every three months, and I sometimes have to send in paperwork to
distributors for their documentation. The supplies I need are also closely regulated....they arrive
within a specified time period. If you can use a variety of test strips and meters, you should have
a much easier time. I also have a secondary insurance so I am luckier than most. I still write down
my numbers every day, but the stats can also be downloaded. Medicare brings an adjustment
from traditional insurance, but being aware of the transition makes it easier :-) It's all good :-)
Is it all good? Transitioning to Medicare from really good private insurance? My husband is working till he is 69 (another 4 years) so I am covered with Anthem. We are thinking of moving to Tampa area, so we can enroll in Humana Gold Plus. All of our elders were covered for almost every dollar in healthcare costs. HGP varies in coverage and price depending on the county you live in. It pretty much stinks in the Atlanta area. Florida coverage in Dade-Broward area and Tampa-St Pete, so much better.
I kinda thought Medicare restricted the strips to begin with, but I had no idea they were so Big Brother about it, to account for every strip you use? Humana Gold Plus, might actually do the same since they are pretty much an HMO. So, If your diabetes is in abeyance due to your WOE, you would not receive any strips? How do they decide the number of strips you need, is it by your A1C, diagnosis code? If you are testing to your meter trying to keep things in control, that's a ton of strips. I know that there are cheap strips on Amazon, but on a fixed income, do we end up eating cat food to survive?1 -
@bensnj Just to clarify, do you have a Medtronic pump and CGM?
If yes, you can calibrate your CGM with any meter, just just have to do it manually if you don't use a meter that is capable of sending your result to the pump automatically. Additionally, there was a One Touch (Lifescan) meter that would send the result to your pump... they do not make the meter anymore because Medtronic switched their contract from Lifescan to Bayer (for the Contour Next). However, you might be able to find a meter to be able to automatically send results. Not sure how the One Touch strips are treated by your insurance, but that might be an option to look into. If it would help you out, I could look if I still have one lying around that you can have if it will help you. Send me a PM if you want me to look for it.
By the way, I have the Medtronic 530G with the Enlite CGM's, but I've used most kinds of pumps in the past and used the original Sof-sensor CGM's with Medtronic when they were the latest technology (have since been discontinued with the more advanced Enlite's). My first pump was a Medtronic in 2003 and since then, I've used the Accu-Chek 360 system, Smith's Medical (Disetronic) up until that was discontinued, and ultimately returned to Medtronic for the integrated CGM back when it was still the Sof-Sensor. I got upgraded for free at the end of 2015 when they discontinued Sof-Sensor because my pump was still under warranty and *officially* the pump would not work with Enlite CGM's - i.e. they had no FDA approval, but to be honest, I know of people who were using Enlites with 511/711 and higher (below 530G).1 -
KenSmith108 wrote: »You can use a second inexpensive meter, it just won't communicate with your pump.
You would still benefit from the bg#s. If you got an actionable # you could
always use the expensive strip to alert your pump. or
@KenSmith108 - I don't know if that will work for the OP, but I swear, this is about one of the most common sense yet BLOODY BRILLIANT suggestions I've seen made here in a while. Thanks for that.0 -
KnitOrMiss wrote: »KenSmith108 wrote: »You can use a second inexpensive meter, it just won't communicate with your pump.
You would still benefit from the bg#s. If you got an actionable # you could
always use the expensive strip to alert your pump. or
@KenSmith108 - I don't know if that will work for the OP, but I swear, this is about one of the most common sense yet BLOODY BRILLIANT suggestions I've seen made here in a while. Thanks for that.
The Medtronic pumps allow manual BG entry, so an inexpensive meter could be used all the time... it is just more buttons to press to do it manually.1 -
RalfLott-Thanks for the info about the test strips. I was always leery of the quality of the strips when purchased on
line. That was great info.
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Hi Aquawave- My doctor uses Medtronic glucose monitors, which is the leading company.
The monitor really improves the quality of life for a PWD type 1. With Medicare, there is a lot more
paperwork and verification. You must "document" your test strip uses, so you receive "exactly"
the number of test strips.....if you test 3 times a day, you will receive enough for 3 times a day.
Even if they are prescribed by your doctor, you can not get more than your numbers indicate you
need. He has to send in paperwork every three months, and I sometimes have to send in paperwork to
distributors for their documentation. The supplies I need are also closely regulated....they arrive
within a specified time period. If you can use a variety of test strips and meters, you should have
a much easier time. I also have a secondary insurance so I am luckier than most. I still write down
my numbers every day, but the stats can also be downloaded. Medicare brings an adjustment
from traditional insurance, but being aware of the transition makes it easier :-) It's all good :-)
Is it all good? Transitioning to Medicare from really good private insurance? My husband is working till he is 69 (another 4 years) so I am covered with Anthem. We are thinking of moving to Tampa area, so we can enroll in Humana Gold Plus. All of our elders were covered for almost every dollar in healthcare costs. HGP varies in coverage and price depending on the county you live in. It pretty much stinks in the Atlanta area. Florida coverage in Dade-Broward area and Tampa-St Pete, so much better.
I kinda thought Medicare restricted the strips to begin with, but I had no idea they were so Big Brother about it, to account for every strip you use? Humana Gold Plus, might actually do the same since they are pretty much an HMO. So, If your diabetes is in abeyance due to your WOE, you would not receive any strips? How do they decide the number of strips you need, is it by your A1C, diagnosis code? If you are testing to your meter trying to keep things in control, that's a ton of strips. I know that there are cheap strips on Amazon, but on a fixed income, do we end up eating cat food to survive?
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Aquawave- You and your husband will do just fine :-) My secondary insurance still takes care of most of the costs not covered by Medicare. My issue is basically in the particular brand I need to use for my pump, and its cost because of availability. There is paperwork involved when using Medicare, but you get accustomed to the time
frame it usually follows. You are already looking ahead, which is always advisable, but retirement is a time to look
forward to. Take a deep breath and know that you are totally capable of handling Medicare for many years to come.
By the way, in my experience, the number of test strips is determined by your A1C and the number of times you need to test each day as determined by the doctor. Good luck :-)0 -
KnitOrMiss- Your brilliance is showing :-) Thanks for a great suggestion !0
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midwesterner85- Thanks so much for taking the time to provide an in-depth explanation. It sounds like you were
on the ground floor of the monitors from all the brands you have used. I do not have the CGM, my results are sent
directly from my meter. The test strips are no longer available by mail order, but are still available at our local pharmacies...although I don't know if they will honor my 90 day supply script yet. Medtronic seems to be "controlling the market" on supply distribution, though. I am going to check to see if I can just send the
test results manually using an old meter to see if that would work because it certainly would be a lot more reasonable financially to use the One Touch strips. Thanks for the time and the enlightenment....have a great week.0 -
midwesterner85- Thanks so much for taking the time to provide an in-depth explanation. It sounds like you were
on the ground floor of the monitors from all the brands you have used. I do not have the CGM, my results are sent
directly from my meter. The test strips are no longer available by mail order, but are still available at our local pharmacies...although I don't know if they will honor my 90 day supply script yet. Medtronic seems to be "controlling the market" on supply distribution, though. I am going to check to see if I can just send the
test results manually using an old meter to see if that would work because it certainly would be a lot more reasonable financially to use the One Touch strips. Thanks for the time and the enlightenment....have a great week.
Yes, you can enter BG manually whether or not you are using a CGM. With the CGM, you can manually enter a meter reading to calibrate. Without the CGM, you can enter a BG manually for A) tracking through Medtronic so it will be included in uploads from your pump, or
using the bolus wizard to calculate an insulin bolus. In all cases, you can enter a BG manually... the only benefit of using a meter that will communicate with your pump is convenience. That is, letting the meter send BG to the pump is convenient and manually entering the BG is inconvenient. 2 -
RalfLott-Thanks for the info about the test strips. I was always leery of the quality of the strips when purchased on
line. That was great info.
FYI, @Bensonj, I've checked various batches of recently-expiring vs. expires-next-year Bayer Contour Next strips and never noticed any disparity in the results!1 -
Bump - lots of good stuff in this thread.1
This discussion has been closed.